My Wines

My Cellar

When he was just old enough to drink wine, Peter Paul was introduced to a few bottles of great Burgundy while still living in his native New Hampshire. It was a revelation. Soon after-some time in the late 1960s- his father purchased a case of the famous Chateau d'Yquem and shared some with Peter. Not surprisingly, these seminal moments led to a lifetime interest in fine wine.
A job in the fin... Read more

When he was just old enough to drink wine, Peter Paul was introduced to a few bottles of great Burgundy while still living in his native New Hampshire. It was a revelation. Soon after-some time in the late 1960s- his father purchased a case of the famous Chateau d'Yquem and shared some with Peter. Not surprisingly, these seminal moments led to a lifetime interest in fine wine.
A job in the financial services industry brought the vintner-to-be to California in 1975. Two years later, he "escaped"-as he puts it-to northern California. Living close to the Napa and Sonoma counties, Peter was able to regularly visit his favorite wineries and get a feel for the wine country lifestyle.
Of course, this was mostly on weekends. During the week, Peter founded Headlands Mortgage in 1986, which, after a decade, became one of the premier wholesale mortgage lending institutions in the country. After leading Headlands through a successful IPO in 1998 that raised more than $110 million for the company, Mr. Paul negotiated the subsequent merger with GreenPoint Financial Corp. The merger was valued at approximately $475 million and was the largest transaction in Marin County, California, history.
Success in the financial services helped Peter pursue his passion for wine. In 1999, he purchased the Grove Street Winery, in Healdsburg, CA., which allowed him to learn the ropes and embark upon his vinous adventure. Today he is the owner of Peter Paul Wines, for which he sources grapes from select vineyards in both Napa and Sonoma counties. In addition to his wine and other business interests, Peter pursues a parallel career in philanthropy. With a long-term commitment to raising the standard of life for underprivileged children and their families, he created in 1995 the The Headlands Foundation, which raises funds and contributes money to worthwhile charitable organizations in the Bay Area. Peter also sponsors worldwide events each year including the Russian Arts Foundation, and the Russian National Orchestra's recording of Wolf Tracks narrated by Sophia Loren, Bill Clinton and Mikhail Gorbachev. Proceeds from the sale of Wolf Tracks benefit environmental, wildlife, arts and health organizations around the world.
Finally, as a member of the Board of Directors of the University of New Hampshire Foundation, Peter funded two chairs in 2001, one in Space Science and another in Developmental Psychology. The latter, the Samuel E. Paul Chair, was established in memory of his father, a highly regarded physician who practiced in Troy NH for 30 years. Read less